Method of epitaxially growing silicon carbide by pyrolytically decomposing sih4 and ch4



May 7, 1968 E. EBERT ETAL 3,382,113

METHOD OF EPITAXIALLY GROWING SILICON CARBIDE BY PYROLYTICALLY DECOMPOSING Si H4 AND @H4 Filed July 1G. 1965 INPUT GAS DOPANT GAS INVENTORS EKREHARD ERERT OUTPUT MARTIN |MMRND0RRER @As WERNER SPIELMANN BYMZW ATTO R N EY United States Patent O 3,382,113 METHOD F EPETAXIALLY GROWING SILICGN CARBHDE BY PYROLYTICALLY DECOMPOS- ING SiH., AND CH.,

Ekkehard Ebert, Rehlingen, Martin Immendorfer, Sindeltingen, and Werner Spielmann, Dachtel, Germany, assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY., a corporation of New York Filed July 16, 1965, Ser. No. 472,615 Claims priority, application Germany, July 25, 1964, 3 26,271

6 Claims. (Cl. 148-175) This invention relates to a method of epitaxially grow ing silicon carbide, and it relates more particularly to a process for producing silicon carbide semiconductor comd ponents.

Epitaxial growth of monocrystalline layers of silicon carbide, SiC, by gas transport has gained increasing importance lately in connection with the manufacture of semiconductor components. It has gained an especially high importance in connection with -the fabrication of planar transistors in subminiaturized structures for printed circuits.

In the past, epitaxial layers of SiC have been produced by decomposition of CC14 and the hydrogen reduction of SiCl., at approximately l800 C., using H2 as a carrier gas. This method has a number of serious inherent disadvantages. Illustratively, due to the high chemical reactivity of hydrogen at 1800 C., chemical reactions tend to occur with the container walls and those parts of the apparatus serving to heat and support the seeds, which consist partly of graphite, resulting in disturbances of the growing process and of the crystalline structure of the grown layers. Further, the resulting HC1 and H2 become nascent in the reaction and attack the SiC, so that the crystalline growth is retarded and the production of sharply dened PN junctions is prevented. Additionally, the nascent HCl also reacts with a great number of doping substances, especially with gaseous dopants, thereby greatly limiting the selection of substances that may be used. A further disadvantage of the reaction is the very narrow temperature range available making it impossible to control the growing processes by changing the temperature in the reaction chamber.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method which avoids the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior method. It is another object of this invention to provide an improved method of epitaxially growing SiC, especially for fabricating semiconductor components.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The drawing is a schematic perspective view of a reaction container partially broken away to expose the SiC seed and the support therefor in the reaction chamber.

The invention is characterized in that silanes and hydrocarbons are pyrolytically decomposed, and in that the SiC thus produced is precipitated on a seed.

In accordance with a particularly advantageous feature of the invention, an input gas stream comprising silicon hydride, SiH4, and methane, CH4, is pyrolytically decomposed into H2 and SiC which is precipitated on a monocrystalline SiC seed at a temperature of l400 C. to 2000 C. If required, inert carrier gases may be added to the input gas stream. Illustratively, if the inert gas is argon, Ar, the reaction is as follows:

In accordance with another advantageous feature of the invention, the epitaxially grown layers are doped by ice adding gaseous dopants such as BZHS, BBr, A1(BH4)3 and PH3, to the input gas stream consisting of silanes and hydrocarbons.

The invention now Will be explained in detail With reference to the drawing. Mounted in a reaction chamber 10 of a reaction container 11, e.g., quartz, is a graphite or tantalum support block 12. The graphite block 12 is mounted on a stem 13 and supports a SiC seed 14 upon which a layer of SiC is to be epitaxially grown. The SiC seed 14 is heated to 1500 C. by heating the block 12 by means of induction coils 15 wound on container 11. Coils 15 are energized by a power source, not shown, connected to terminals 16. An input gas mixture consisting of is directed into a tube 17 and therefrom via a tube 18 into chamber 10. The input gas mixture in the vicinity of the SiC seed 14 heated to 1000o C. decomposes into SiC and output gas 4H2-l-Ar causing an epitaxial precipitation of SiC on the seed 14. The output gas exits from chamber 11 via a tube 20 as result of the pressure differential in chamber 10 between the tube 1S and tube 20.

If it is desired that the epitaxially growing SiC layer be N or P doped, a gaseous mixture consisting of PH3 or N2 and B2H5, respectively, or Al(BH4)3 is introduced vinto a tube 19 and therefrom via tube 18 into the chamber 10 of reaction container 11 where it blends with the input gas mixture introduced through the tube 17.

When the method according to this invention is used, no HC1 and only small quantities of H2 are produced so that neither the apparatus nor the grown SiC layer is attacked, resulting in perfect crystal structures and in PN junctions which have almost any desired degree of sharpness. In particular, the absence of HCl permits the use of gaseous dopants, which are not converted into halides in the vicinity of the epitaxial layer as occur in the presence of HCl in the prior processes.

A further advantage of the method of this invention is the large temperature range available, the reactions taking place at 1500o C. to 2000 C., thereby making it Ipossible -to influence the growing process within wide limits by means of changes in temperature.

Another advantage of this invention is the use of hydride compounds of silicon making possible production of especially sharply defined PN junctions.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Method of epitaxially growing a layer of silicon carbide on a seed in a reaction chamber comprising the steps of:

applying an input gas stream comprising SiH., and CH.,

to said chamber; and

decomposing pyrolytically said Sil-I4 and CH., in said chamber to effect said epitaxial growth of said layer by precipitation of said silicon carbide on said seed.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein a semiconductor dopant gas is added to said input gas stream to obtain doping of said layer.

3. Method according to claim 2 wherein said dopant gas is selected from the group BZHG, BBr, A1(BH4)3 and PH3.

4. Method according to claim 1 wherein said input gas stream contains an inert carrier gas to effect a pressure differential in said reaction chamber.

5. Method according to claim 4 wherein said inert carrier gas is Ar.

3 4 6. Method according to claim 5 wherein said input gas 3,177,100 4/ 1965 Mayer et a1. 148-175 stream comprises 3,228,756 1/ 1966 Hegenrother 23-301 SiH4-i-CH4-i-Ar OTHER REFERENCES and said pyrolytxc decomposltion 1s at a temperature of 1400 C. to 2000 C., and said seed is monocrystalline 5 RCA Technlcal Notes, TN N0 523, March 1962, Si@ Pankove et a1., class 117/106.

References Cited l UNITED STATES PATENTS q BRI 112mm@ xamme" 3,099,523 7/1963 Ruschel et a1. 23-2os XR mmm" 1o 3,157,541 11/1964 Heywang et a1 14s- 174 I-WDINSTEIN,AsslsfanfExammer- 

1. METHOD OF EPITAXIALLY GROWING A LAYER OF SILICON CARBIDE ON A SEED IN A REACTION CHAMBER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: APPLYING AN INPUT GAS STREAM COMPRISING SIH4 AND CH4 TO SAID CHAMBER; AND DECOMPOSING PYROLYTICALLY SAID SIH4 AND CH4 IN SAID CHAMBER TO EFFECT SAID EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF SAID LAYER BY PRECIPITATION OF SAID SILICON CARBIDE ON SAID SEED. 